Portable e-wallet and universal card

Abstract

Universal cards are used in place of all the other traditional cards which a person may want to carry. The universal card can include a short range communications transceiver to communicate with a mobile device. The mobile device can include a user interface and an e-wallet application so that the user can interface with the e-wallet application for programming the universal card via the short range communication link. Once programmed, the universal card emulates a function of a traditional card.

What is claimed:  
     
       1. A method of providing card data to a universal card for emulating a card for interacting with a terminal, wherein a transaction between the card and the terminal results in the card passing card data to the terminal, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a mobile computing device, card data sent by a computing device associated with a provider of card data, wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to send the card data in response to receiving a request that the card data be sent to the mobile computing device; 
 establishing, by the mobile computing device, a short range wireless communication link with a universal card associated with the mobile computing device, wherein the universal card is configured to determine whether the mobile computing device is authorized to communicate with the universal card in response to a connection with the mobile computing device via the short range wireless communication link, wherein the universal card is configured to permit communication between the mobile computing device and the universal card only if the mobile computing device is authorized to communicate with the universal card; 
 delivering, via the short range wireless communication link, the card data from the mobile computing device to the universal card, wherein the universal card comprises a secure element configured to store the card data in accordance with a pre-established level of security; and 
 sending, from the mobile computing device to the universal card via the short range wireless communication link, a request for the universal card to emulate a static communication mechanism of the card for a period of time, wherein a dynamic communication mechanism of the universal card emulates the static communication mechanism of the card for the period of time using the card data stored in the secure element. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the card data comprises magnetic stripe data, wherein the universal card is configured to emulate the card by configuring a dynamic magnetic stripe of the universal card to pass the magnetic stripe data to the terminal. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the card data comprises contactless data, wherein the universal card is configured to emulate a traditional card by configuring a short range transceiver of the universal card to pass the contactless data to the terminal. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to receive an indication of the mobile computing device and to automatically transmit the card data to the mobile computing device upon approval for the card data to be transmitted to the mobile computing device. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to send a message to the mobile computing device based on information identifying a recipient, the message comprising instructions to download the card data. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the information identifying the recipient comprises an email address of the recipient and wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to send the message to the recipient by sending an email to the email address. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the information identifying the recipient comprises a phone number of the recipient and wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to send the message to the recipient by sending a text message to the phone number. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the information identifying the recipient comprises a mailing address of the recipient and wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to send the message to the recipient by mailing the message to the mailing address. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to receive the request for the card data from the mobile computing device. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to receive the request for the card data from a computing device that is different from the mobile computing device. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to create an account associated with the card data in response to receiving the request for the card data. 
     
     
       12. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions embodied thereon for providing card data to a universal card for emulating a card for interacting with a terminal, wherein a transaction between the card and the terminal results in the card passing card data to the terminal, the instructions, when executed by a mobile computing device, cause the mobile computing device to:
 receive card data sent by a computing device associated with a provider of card data, wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to send the card data in response to receiving a request that the card data be sent to the mobile computing device; 
 establish a short range wireless communication link with a universal card associated with the mobile computing device, wherein the universal card is configured to determine whether the mobile computing device is authorized to communicate with the universal card in response to a connection with the mobile computing device via the short range wireless communication link, wherein the universal card is configured to permit communication between the mobile computing device and the universal card only if the mobile computing device is authorized to communicate with the universal card; 
 deliver, via the short range wireless communication link, the card data from the mobile computing device to the universal card, wherein the universal card comprises a secure element configured to store the card data in accordance with a pre-established level of security; and 
 send to the universal card via the short range wireless communication link a request for the universal card to emulate a static communication mechanism of the card for a period of time, wherein a dynamic communication mechanism of the universal card emulates the static communication mechanism of the card for the period of time using the card data stored in the secure element. 
 
     
     
       13. The computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the card data comprises magnetic stripe data, wherein the universal card is configured to emulate the card by configuring a dynamic magnetic stripe of the universal card to pass the magnetic stripe data to the terminal. 
     
     
       14. The computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the card data comprises contactless data, wherein the universal card is configured to emulate a traditional card by configuring a short range transceiver of the universal card to pass the contactless data to the terminal. 
     
     
       15. The computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to receive an indication of the mobile computing device and to automatically transmit the card data to the mobile computing device upon approval for the card data to be transmitted to the mobile computing device. 
     
     
       16. The computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to send a message to the mobile computing device based on information identifying a recipient, the message comprising instructions to download the card data. 
     
     
       17. The computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the information identifying the recipient comprises an email address of the recipient and wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to send the message to the recipient by sending an email to the email address. 
     
     
       18. The computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the information identifying the recipient comprises a phone number of the recipient and wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to send the message to the recipient by sending a text message to the phone number. 
     
     
       19. The computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the information identifying the recipient comprises a mailing address of the recipient and wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to send the message to the recipient by mailing the message to the mailing address. 
     
     
       20. The computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to receive the request for the card data from the mobile computing device. 
     
     
       21. The computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to receive the request for the card data from a computing device that is different from the mobile computing device. 
     
     
       22. The computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to create an account associated with the card data in response to receiving the request for the card data. 
     
     
       23. A mobile computing device for providing card data to a universal card for emulating a card for interacting with a terminal, wherein a transaction between the card and the terminal results in the card passing card data to the terminal, the mobile computing device comprising:
 a communication mechanism configured to communicate with a computing device associated with a provider of card data via a network; and 
 a short range wireless communication mechanism configured to establish a short range wireless communication link with a universal card associated with the mobile computing device, wherein the universal card is configured to determine whether the mobile computing device is authorized to communicate with the universal card in response to a connection with the mobile computing device via the short range wireless communication link, wherein the universal card is configured to permit communication between the mobile computing device and the universal card only if the mobile computing device is authorized to communicate with the universal card; 
 wherein the mobile computing device is configured to:
 receive card data sent by the computing device associated with the provider of card data, wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to send the card data in response to receiving a request that the card data be sent to the mobile computing device; 
 deliver, via the short range wireless communication link, the card data from the mobile computing device to the universal card, wherein the universal card comprises a secure element configured to store the card data in accordance with a pre-established level of security; and 
 send, from the mobile computing device to the universal card via the short range wireless communication link, a request for the universal card to emulate a static communication mechanism of the card for a period of time, wherein a dynamic communication mechanism of the universal card emulates the static communication mechanism of the card for the period of time using the card data stored in the secure element. 
 
 
     
     
       24. The mobile computing device of  claim 23 , wherein the card data comprises magnetic stripe data, wherein the universal card is configured to emulate the card by configuring a dynamic magnetic stripe of the universal card to pass the magnetic stripe data to the terminal. 
     
     
       25. The mobile computing device of  claim 23 , wherein the card data comprises contactless data, wherein the universal card is configured to emulate a traditional card by configuring a short range transceiver of the universal card to pass the contactless data to the terminal. 
     
     
       26. The mobile computing device of  claim 23 , wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to receive an indication of the mobile computing device and to automatically transmit the card data to the mobile computing device upon approval for the card data to be transmitted to the mobile computing device. 
     
     
       27. The mobile computing device of  claim 23 , wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to send a message to the mobile computing device based on information identifying a recipient, the message comprising instructions to download the card data. 
     
     
       28. The mobile computing device of  claim 27 , wherein the information identifying the recipient comprises an email address of the recipient and wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to send the message to the recipient by sending an email to the email address. 
     
     
       29. The mobile computing device of  claim 27 , wherein the information identifying the recipient comprises a phone number of the recipient and wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to send the message to the recipient by sending a text message to the phone number. 
     
     
       30. The mobile computing device of  claim 27 , wherein the information identifying the recipient comprises a mailing address of the recipient and wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to send the message to the recipient by mailing the message to the mailing address. 
     
     
       31. The mobile computing device of  claim 23 , wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to receive the request for the card data from the mobile computing device via the network. 
     
     
       32. The mobile computing device of  claim 23 , wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is configured to receive the request for the card data from a computing device that is different from the mobile computing device. 
     
     
       33. The mobile computing device of  claim 23 , wherein the computing device associated with the provider of card data is further configured to create an account associated with the card data in response to receiving the request for the card data.